Always My Baby
by FredandGeorgefreak
Summary: Now that Peter is all grown up, Tino misses having a baby around the house. Perhaps it's time to have a new baby?


_**I don't own Het**_ **alia**

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Tino adored his little family. There were only three of them, but to him, nothing could be better.

Berwald, though silent and brooding, was gentle and caring underneath his stoic exterior. He made the perfect husband, always willing to listen to Tino when he needed to vent, his shoulder always ready when Tino needed a good cry.

And he was the most amazing father. Patient and kind, Berwald never minded spending time with their son; he loved it more than anything else.

Peter, their five-year-old son, was a ball of energy that constantly kept them on their toes. But they liked him how he was; he wouldn't be Peter any other way. He was quite proud to call Berwald his papa, and though Tino probably should've told him otherwise, he loved calling Tino his mama. He spent most days coloring or playing with Hanatamago, their small, white dog, or following Tino around the house like a little duckling, waiting for Berwald to return home from work.

They didn't think that anything needed to change. Why change something that wasn't broken? However as Peter was growing, Tino began to feel a bit detached, missing the feeling of having a child that relied on him for everything. Peter was beginning to be more independent. "Mama, I can dress myself!" he'd protest. "I can get my own cereal!"

Tino's motherly instinct was draining away, and he desperately wanted it back. So one night after Peter had been tucked away for the night, Tino anxiously waited for Berwald in bed. Hana snuggled up next to him, dozing off against his knee; he stroked her fur and looked towards the door as Berwald entered, loosening his tie.

"Ber," Tino began softly, wondering how exactly he was going to go about this. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Alright," Berwald said, stripping of his work clothes and dressing in his pajamas. "What is it?"

Biting his lip, Tino pulled the blankets closer around himself. He had had all of the possible conversations in his head, but now that he had actually begun out loud, he was at a loss for words.

"Well, Peter is getting older. He's going to be six soon, and he…doesn't need us as much as he used to," Tino said, adjusting himself as Berwald wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "And I'm glad he's growing up to be independent and happy, but…oh, I don't know. I just miss having my little boy around. I feel withdrawn. And Peter _is_ an only child, and he will eventually need someone to play with. I was just thinking that maybe…maybe…"

"We could look into gettin' another baby?" Berwald finished for him. Tino nodded, resting his head against Berwald's shoulder.

"Only if you want that as well. This is a two-person decision. It's not just what I want. I know that it would be a lot more work, what with two kids."

"No. I like kids. I think havin' another would be good. Miss having a little one runnin' around the house."

Relief washed over Tino. Sometimes, he forgot how understanding Berwald was. Settling against the pillows, Tino nodded in agreement, sighing. They could talk about the situation more in the morning. Whether to get a boy or a girl, how old the child would be, how they'd expand their house to accommodate everyone, everything else could be worried about the next day. For now, they could just relax and try and sleep.

"Mama?"

Sitting back up, Tino was surprised to see Peter standing in the doorway clutching onto his old stuffed bear. His hair tussled from sleep, Tino worriedly noticed the tears rolling down Peter's cheeks.

"Peter, darling, what's wrong?" Tino asked, stretching his arms out. Running towards the bed, Peter jumped into Tino's lap, jostling a startled Hana, who quickly hid back under the blankets to sleep. "Why are you crying? Did you have a nightmare?"

Shaking his head, Peter hiccupped. He hugged himself as close as he could to Tino. "Mama," he said through his tears, squeezing his bear's arm tightly. "Are you gonna replace me?"

Eyes widening, Tino shared a concerned look with his husband before turning back to Peter. "Of course not! Why would you ever think such a thing?"

"Cause," Peter sniffled, blue eyes blaring up at him. "You said you were going to get a new baby. Cause I was getting too big. But…But I'm still little! I'm the baby, Mama!"

Peter had heard them? He must've gotten out of bed. Whatever the reason, Tino stroked Peter's hair back from his forehead, shaking his head. "Oh, sweetheart, of course you are. You're always going to be our baby. No matter how big you are. A new baby wouldn't change that."

"You'll forget about me," Peter protested weakly.

"Impossible," Tino said. "You're our Peter, how could we forget you? You're far too important to forget. And besides, we would never adopt another boy or girl without your approval first. We would never want to make you sad, Peter."

They were all silent for a while, until Berwald said, "We love you, Peter. No one is goin' to change that, not even another baby."

Smiling, Peter said, "I love you too, Papa. And I love you too, Mama."

"And don't you forget it," Tino said, bopping Peter softly on the nose. "Now, it's awfully late. You need to get back to sleep."

"Can I sleep here? Pretty please?"

Peter hadn't wanted to sleep in his parent's bed for over a year; heart warming, Tino nodded, letting Peter slip from his lap into the space in between him and Berwald. Clutching the covers around him, Peter shut his eyes, drifting off to sleep before anyone could turn off the light.

Giggling, Tino glanced at Berwald with a fond smile. Leaning over their son, Berwald pressed a light kiss to Tino's lips before discarding of his glasses and falling against the bed next to Peter.

Tino was right; his family was perfect. And perhaps they would add another member or two to it some day. But that day wasn't today, nor would it be tomorrow. For now, he had his loving husband and his caring son, and that was all he needed.


End file.
